Josh Etkind announced as ThinkOnward’s Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1st, 2025.

With nearly 25 years of experience in the energy sector, Josh brings extensive expertise to this role, having held global leadership positions in subsurface, wells, and LNG R&D. Most recently, he served as the Shell Upstream Deepwater Digital Opportunity Manager, where he drove transformative initiatives that improved operational efficiency and safety, reduced costs and GHG emissions, and improved subsurface and wells development outcomes. Previously, he led LNG R&D globally for Shell.

An active member in the industry, Josh has received multiple industry recognitions, including:

• • 2021 Society of Petroleum Engineers International (SPE) Public Service Award
  • 2013 SPE Distinguished Service Award
  • 2010 American Petroleum Institute Meritorious Service Award
  • 2004 SPE International Young Member Outstanding Service Award

His professional contributions include leadership roles such as:

• • Former SPE Board of Directors member (2007-2010)
  • President of the SPE Gaia Sustainability Program
  • Chairperson of the SPE Sustainable Development Technical Section

When asked about the future, Etkind expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “I’m incredibly grateful and delighted! Leading ThinkOnward is the opportunity of a lifetime. We’re strategically positioned to make a significant positive impact on the most pressing challenges in the energy sector. Our commitment is to help ensure energy security by leveraging our specialized, experienced crowdsourced community to develop innovative solutions using advanced data science, generative AI, and digital technologies. Together with our partners, we aim to unlock progress towards a more sustainable future for everyone. I look forward to engaging and collaborating with industry leaders and innovators to tackle these challenges.”

Josh holds a B.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering from Texas Tech University and has completed advanced studies at the University of Cambridge Business and Sustainability Program. He is a certified Advanced Sustainability Practitioner and a Fellow of the Loyola University Institute of Environmental Communications. Etkind serves as CEO of Sanitation for All, an international NGO focused on providing clean water and sanitation to disadvantaged communities.

Join us in welcoming Josh to ThinkOnward.

About ThinkOnward

ThinkOnward is a nexus of innovation and collaboration focused on building the resilience of today's energy system. ThinkOnward’s platform is a global ecosystem that brings together a diverse community of over 6,000 geoscientists, data scientists and researchers, to collaborate in solving problems through projects and data science challenges in pursuit of practical, scalable solutions for the energy industry. ThinkOnward is a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell USA, Inc.